Summary
OPUSAT-II is a CubeSat developed by Osaka Prefecture University and Muroran Institute of Technology. OPUSAT-II was launched from Wallops Flight Facility on 20 February 2021,[1][2] and will be deployed from the International Space Station. The satellite is nicknamed HIROGARI, for a Japanese word meaning spread, or expand.[3]
Spacecraft
The satellite's satellite bus is based on the design of Osaka Prefecture University's previous satellite, OPUSAT, which was launched in 2014.[4] OPUSAT-II has a design life of five and a half months.[3]
Mission
OPUSAT-II has two main missions. The first mission is to demonstrate high-speed data transmission in amateur radio band. According to the projects's website, the satellite communication system's design and the results of the experiment will be made public.[3]
The second mission is a deployment of a large folded structure. A deployable plastic plate is stored inside the satellite, based on Miura fold.[5] The folding method that will be tested in this mission takes into account the thickness of the plate, unlike the traditional Miura fold. The satellite will optically measure the deployment using a pair of cameras.[3] The team proposes applying this folding method on space-based solar power in the future.[6][7]
See also
References
- ^ "超小型衛星「ひろがり」の打上げ予定日が決定し、共同記者会見を行いました" (Press release) (in Japanese). Muroran Institute of Technology. February 3, 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
- ^ "室工大開発の衛星打ち上げ成功". NHK NEWS WEB (in Japanese). February 21, 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
- ^ a b c d "HIROGARI (English)". Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ Haru, Kyusen (October 21, 2020). "大阪府立大学と室蘭工大の超小型衛星「ひろがり」、JAXAへ引き渡し完了！". Mynavi news (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-02-21.
- ^ "大学発衛星、宇宙へ必ず 室工大と大阪府立大がオンライン会見". The Hokkaido Shimbun Press (in Japanese). January 30, 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
- ^ "日本の伝統工学が未来をつくる技術に。宇宙工学の歴史的一歩へ！" (in Japanese). 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
- ^ "学生開発の超小型衛星、宇宙へ 大阪府立大と室蘭工大、２月に". The Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 29, 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
External links
- HIROGARI Project